Curtains down on movie halls

Visakhapatnam: Being weekend and a holiday for many employees and denizens, who had already booked tickets to enjoy the movie with family members had turned back after  150 screens, including  multiplexes  in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, were shut down as the  Southern Movie Producers Joint Action Committee called for bandh across South India demanding reduction in Virtual Print Fee (VPF). The producers are alleging that the high tariff of the VPF become an extra burden on the exhibitors and producers.

Audience, who rushed to the cinema theatres for morning and matinee shows, were disappointed as there are no shows. However, during first show very few audience gathered at the theatres.

Friday being Holi, disappointed movie goers rushed to various other entertainment spots. With no cinema, there is a big rush witnessed across the beach roads and people also visited the Zoo Park and some people gone to the temples also.

This is for the first time that theatres were closed at all the 150 screens in the three districts. However, the contractors of canteens, parking lots and other refreshment vendors were present at the morning show assuming that the bandh call would be called off.

Samosa, is one of the eatables at the movie theatres, and many people are eking out their livelihood by making and selling samosas. However, as the movie halls were closed, samosa makers reduced their production to 70 per cent.

Cinema theatres observe bandh 

Cinema theatres bandh was total on first day across the district on Friday against high fares imposed by digital service providers for virtual print fee (VPF). The South Indian States Cine Producers Joint Action Committee called for bandh from March 2 in all states. Producers, exhibitors and distributors are jointly observing bandh by demanding reduction in charges which is leading to financial crisis in running theatres. Film lovers were upset due to closure of all nine cinema theatres in Srikakulam city during Holi holiday on Friday.

Films are being exhibited in theatres through satellites by paying charges and theaters owners are demanding reduction in charges every week from the date of release of pictures but service providers are not interested to reduce VPF more than nine per cent which has become bone of  contention between them. Theatres owners in Srikakulam city B Dhanunjaya, S Bosubabu, R Varaprasad, Chinnaraju, Sateesh, Venkata Rao and Madhu participated.